Staff photo / Neel Madhavan Austintown Fitch’s Jamell James runs for a gain during the Jack Arvin All-Star Classic at Canfield High School last week. James scored twice during the classic as the Mahoning/Columbiana County all-star team earned a 24-0 win.

Jamell James ended his high school career on a high note last week.

The now-graduated Austintown Fitch running back ran for two touchdowns to help lead the Mahoning County all-star team to a 24-0 victory over the Trumbull County all-star team in the Jack Arvin Classic.

“It means everything,” James said of his performance. “Coming into the game, I was very excited for the last time playing with my boys (Fitch’s Johnny Ruggles and Christian Latone). It was the last time playing with the people around me, and I played against some of my old friends for the first time in a while. It all just felt good.”

But now, high school is in the rearview mirror and James is looking forward.

Come July 3, James is headed to Fordham, where he will continue his academic and football pursuits with the Rams at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level of Division I.

Even though he’s not on campus yet, the Rams’ coaching staff is keeping James busy this summer with lifts and workouts for him to do on his own to prepare for when he arrives in New York City.

“I’ve been learning the playbook, and I’ve been talking to the coaches,” James said. “I built great relationships with the running backs coach and offensive coordinator, and I’m just ready to get up there.”

James also had Division I offers from Colgate, Bowling Green, Youngstown State, St. Francis (PA) and Austin Peay, but in the end, the Rams’ program had what James was looking for.

“It’s the Bronx, New York, No. 1,” James said. “But it’s a private school, they offer a great education and the football team is great. Everybody there, the atmosphere — I just loved everything about it.”

In his final season at Fitch, James was a part of the Falcons’ potent one-two punch at running back, along with junior, now rising-senior DJ Williams. Williams just recently committed to Ball State on Wednesday.

James, the more shifty, side-to-side runner of the pair, led the Falcons with 1,172 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground, to go with three receiving touchdowns, while also setting three Fitch school records in the process. Williams, the physical, downhill runner, finished the fall with an almost identical 1,164 rushing yards to go with 12 rushing touchdowns.

“What can’t be underestimated is how much those two (fed) off each other and (made) each other better, whether it (was) in practice or working out,” Fitch head coach TJ Parker said about the duo back in September. “Then, when they’re competing on the field, you have two highly competitive guys who want the ball and who want to be the reason the team wins.”

For the upcoming fall, James is handing off the baton to Williams to be the Falcons’ No. 1 featured back in what’s sure to again be a potent and explosive backfield, and James has full confidence in his former teammate to continue to have success.

“He’s going to be great in everything that he does,” James said. “He got that all from himself. I didn’t really do anything, but be there to answer his questions when he had them. That’s my guy — I already know DJ, he’s going to turn the city up next year.”

nmadhavan@tribtoday.com